April 27, 2015

Hey so to start off with Transfer News. Everyone is staying the same in the Rialto 4th Ward!!! Only weird thing is that we are getting a new English District leader, it should be interesting. 

Monday. So Monday everything we had planned fell apart at the last minute so we decided to go see the P. Family. We had a really good lesson with the boys. We went over the plan of salvation and they took it all in really well and are starting to understand that what they do here on earth really effects where you go after you die. We invited them all to church and their mom said that she would take them this Sunday!

Tuesday I went to the doctors at 8:30 in the morning. I had my last meeting with my doctor and then we went down to the pharmacy to get my meds. While we were waiting a lady walked up to us with water and muffins in her hands and handed them to us and introduced herself. She was a member from the Prospect Park ward in Redlands. It was super nice. We hadn't really eaten breakfast that morning because we had to leave around 7:30 that morning. Then we went back to Rialto and had District Meeting. After that we had a lesson with Daniel in his office. His office is what we call his car, which is normally where we have lessons. We had a good talk about faith. He really is starting to get that we have to act in order to receive help. That Faith is more than just believing, you have to do the things God has asked us otherwise you really don't have faith. We had tacos with the J. family for dinner they were really good. I love tacos!!! I literally have no idea what I'm going to do without tacos!! >.< Then we visited hermano R. We shared with him about reading the Book of Mormon and about how we can receive answers to our problems and challenges as we seek for revelation. 

Wednesday. Wednesday we got up and ran again. We have been doing a flip flop in the mornings between running and lifting weights. We had a little lesson with Hermana. M. about reading the Book of Mormon. She said she'd start reading again. So we are hoping that maybe it'll be a good starting place to get her back to church.

Thursday. We had set up a lesson with L. at the church but when everyone showed up L. was a little drowsy from her medications so we didn't teach anything but we gave her a blessing because she has been having some health issues and she is really worried about her family. Then we went back to the apartment and did weekly planning. We had dinner with the M. family and it was a miracle! They actually all sat down and ate with us!!!

Friday. Friday was sweet! We found N.!!! She's back!!! We were just going to stop by the S. families house to invite them the FHE that night and when we knock on the door N. answered!!! It was crazy!!! So they came to the FHE and the Relief Society was in charge of the lesson and we were in charge of the games. So we started with a game where you flip the cups it was fun but not like super good, then we tried a game where you had to pull a card out from in-between 2 staked cups so that they would fall onto each other, that didn't go so well either so then we decided to do my game which was a race, where each team had a towel and they had to pull the members of the team across the gym and back. It started off as a race but very soon turned into a free-for-all of everyone getting pulled across the gym, including the bishop, I'll see if I can get a hold of the videos and pictures from the other missionaries!

Saturday. There was a baptism that night for 3 of the sister’s investigators and for one of the investigators of the other elders. It was crazy and started late but there were about 80 people there and all-in-all it went well. The sisters had never been in charge of putting together a baptism but they did a pretty good job for not having that much help. 

Sunday was good too. A little crazy in the morning but good. Elder Juarez got invited to a Baptism that was going to happen in San B at 12:15 so he got picked up and I got dropped off with the other elders and Juarez went to church in San B and so I was with the other elders all morning. It was fun. We got to church and we were scrambling around trying to get everything set up for the confirmations and how to get our investigators to church. I'm just glad that it all worked out. We had all the P. family boys come and all the S. family kids! It was super awesome! I saw the P. kids walk in about 5 minutes after church started and I almost jumped out of my seat from excitement! 

I'm super glad I get to stay another transfer here. This area is awesome! I love the people and I'm so excited and happy to be a missionary and get to help people find more happiness through the Atonement of Christ. This church is true. Jesus Christ is at its head and we are helped and guided in all that we do as we do His Work. 

I hope everyone has a good week! I'll talk to yall later!!!

-Elder Zachary Gore

April 20, 2015

Hello!!!

So this week was pretty goooooood.

On Monday. We had a lesson with the J. Family and the P. Family and with the P.'s we talked about yoking ourselves to Christ and we talked about how we needed to read the scriptures, pray, and go to church to show our faith and be able to receive that help that we need. It went super good and we committed them to church this Sunday. We'll see how it all goes!

Tuesday. We had a little lesson with D. He is doing alright. We are still trying to help him get to church but he stopped smoking so that’s super good. Hopefully we can help him to church this week! Then we had dinner with the Rivera family at 3:30! Soooo Early!!! But it was good! We had some soup and then fish with lettuce and rice. It was super simple but super good. After that we had a lesson with L! She is on Fire!!!!! We taught the Plan of Salvation! It went super well. Moses was with us. We have more or less gotten into a pretty good teaching pattern. So the lesson went super well. And that was about it for that day.

Wednesday. So we had exchanges and Elder Workman came with me. We had a good day. It was slow. We had a little lesson with C.

Thursday. We did some service!!! Yay!!!! We unloaded some trucks of food into a small food pantry and then we put together boxes and bags to be given out to the people. It was a lot of fun! After doing weekly planning we had a lesson with the A. Family. It was super sweet! We taught the Restoration and they really captured the points very well! It’s super awesome because they are also now on date for baptism. The 16th of May!!!

Friday. Dinner was super fun that day. We went to the C’s. They are one of the best families in the ward. Hno. is the 1st Counselor in the Young Mens Presidency and Hna. Is the Presidenta of the Young Women. So they are super involved and willing to help us out with about anything. That night we had another lesson with the P. kids and we did a role play of asking their dad to take them to church. They did it super well, we'll see what happens on Sunday haha.

Saturday. Was good. We went to the Library because we had a ummm what’s the word... like when they tell you what you’re going to do and stuff...hmmm. well we signed up to volunteer at the library and so we had that meeting and I basically already knew what was going on because of the service I'd done at home in the library so it should be pretty good. I'm excited. We went to the M. families home and we had a lesson with everyone and the oldest son, his wife, and kids, all said they'd be coming to church the next day!!! It was awesome!!

Sunday! So we get a ride to the church we get there at about 10:20. At 10:30 the M family shows up!!! We were awestruck! They were 30 minutes early to church!!! It was super cool. Then we saw the A. family come in and then Maggy too! We had 6 people at church! I was sooo excited I almost couldn't contain myself! All these people were coming and they loved it!!! Just a super good day!!!

But that was the week!

Oh and so I saw this when I first got to the area but my name is written in spray paint on the sidewalk just outside of our complex. Like I have no idea why it’s there. But it is so I decided I'd finally take a picture of it haha.

I hope everyone has a good week and lots of fun! Make good choices and Read and Pray every single day!!! Talk to you all next week!

-Elder Zachary Gore

April 13, 2015

Hello!!!

Soooooo this week. Was good. 

Monday we had a sweet family home evening with the Larios Family. They are L. fellowshipers. They are awesome. I also sent the picture home for my moms B-Day!! 

Tuesday. We went over to visit Hno Tapia, and Hna. Toriz was there too so we talked to them about missionary work and we found out that she knows one of Elder Juarez's investigators from San B. I know her too, because of exchanges while I was there in San B. But yeah Hna. Toriz is going to invite her to church!!! Yay!!

Wednesday. We had another awesome lesson with L.!! We watched the Restoration Video. It was super good. She said it made everything very clear. After that lesson we had our first dinner with Hna. Cativo, and we had subs at Subway they were super good after that we tried to visit a couple other people but they weren’t home and so then the time came for our second dinner with the Familia Monarrez.

Thursday. We had a really good lesson with the M. Family. In the M. family the Hna. and all the kids are members, less active though, but the husband is not a member. So we had a super good lesson about the Book of Mormon and how it helps and why it’s important and they asked where in the Bible it talked about the Book of Mormon, they were doubting that it could be true and not be in the Bible, which thank goodness I had marked the verses in Ezekiel where it talks about the Stick of Judah and the Stick of Ephraim, and how they will be put together into one Stick, and I explained that scripture to them and they were just like, whooooa. Well there it is. So that was super cool. They needed that, I think, to be willing to start reading as a family. 

Friday. We went to the church early and helped set up for the Relief Society Anniversary dinner thing, and then we rode around and made a bunch of calls and talked to people and all or appointments fell through and that kind of stunk. On the bright side we had some bomb Teriyaki Chicken for dinner. It was soooo good!!

Saturday. So Saturday, we had another lesson with L., and we talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and about how we have to have faith and repent and then get baptized. And so we talked about baptism and about how it can clean us and we can start over, and receive the Holy Ghost after. And we asked if she would like that and she said yes, and so then we invited her to be baptized the 9th of May and she accepted the Baptismal Date!! Super awesome!!! She is doing great!!!

-After that we had our meeting with Hno. Toriz and it went good.

Sunday was good. But I realized during Gospel Principles that I needed to kick the Spanish practice back up into gear. I was asked to read a verse and I don’t know why I was struggling so much to read it and then I realized I just wasn't used to reading scripture out loud. We try and have the investigators or members read because it’s more powerful that way, but I decided to read the Book of Mormon out loud more during language study.

And that was the week. But other than that I also got my Trunky Call!!! >.< When they call you about your flight plans to go home. It was sooo sad :(

I hope everyone has a great one and has lots of fun! 

I know this Church is True!!!

-Elder Zachary Gore

April 6, 2015

Ok. sooooooo this week.

Monday we played soccer. With the elders from R3 and M. L. came and played too. It was super fun. That night we had a family home evening at the R. home. It was fun. We shared the Easter video #BecauseHelives. Then we had some carne asada, and tacos and it was super good.

Tuesday I was feeling pretty bad. I think I got a cold. I was just sneezing, and coughing, and my nose was running, and I was all stuffed up. Ugh. District meeting was hard to sit through but then basically everything that day fell through. Just a rough day. We started exchanges that night and Elder Curtis came with me.

Exchanges were good. We had some good lessons. The best lesson was the one we had with L. So the lesson went really good. We talked about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration. She had a lot of questions but we were able to answer them.

So Thursday we had a great lesson with R, J., and K. We talked about the Restoration. These kids are awesome. They basically taught the lesson to us. M. came and he was in shock. He said during the lesson, "so when are these kids getting baptized. R. is on date for the 9th of May and his brothers we are waiting until we get permission from their dad. But yeah super good lesson.

Friday. Not much happened. We had a really good dinner with the Rivera Family. I had 3 plates! Full of chicken, rice, and a little salad. It was super good.

Saturday was Conference. Super good!!! The talks I felt were exactly what I needed to hear. I'm super glad I was prepared to receive revelation and that I had taken the time to prepare by reading the Book of Mormon and finishing it before conference. That's a challenge I have for you. Read the Book of Mormon. 5 pages every day, starting today, and in English you'll finish the day I get home lol. It'll be fun. I'm going to do it in Spanish so I have to read 6 pages. Who wants to join me?? :) In between the morning and afternoon sessions we went to Asia Buffet with M. and had lunch. It was super fun, to get to talk to him because he was where we are just a month ago. Second session started. There are sooooo many missionaries, and temples, and stakes, and wards, and members! It’s awesome!!!!

Conference notes

 

Sunday. We watched the first session in Spanish and then during the break the ward, well those who came to the chapel, brought food and we had a big picnic lunch. I'm sorry I forgot to take pictures >.< But it was super good. After that they set up a room with English and we went and watched the second session there. Up until the people that spoke native Spanish then we rushed back to the chapel to listen to it. It's hard to listen to the translations because I understand both the languages haha.

That was the week. Hope you all had a good one too!

Remember to Read and Pray every day. Go to church every Sunday! The prophets have taught us, now we have to do it. It’s really not that hard. 5 pages a day is a good place to start. I know this church is true. I know we have a living Prophet who was called by God and that all they teach us is to help us grow and become closer to our Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father.

Have a great week peeps!

-Elder Zachary Gore